The National Eclipse Weather Experiment: use and evaluation of a citizen science tool for schools outreach.

ABSTRACT: The National Eclipse Weather Experiment (NEWEx) was a citizen science project for atmospheric data collection from the partial solar eclipse of 20 March 20. Its role as a tool for schools outreach is discussed here, in seeking to bridge the gap between self-identification with the role of a scientist and engagement with science, technology, engineering and mathematics subjects. (The science data generated have had other uses beyond this, explored elsewhere.) We describe the design of webforms for weather data collection, and the use of several external partners for the dissemination of the project nationwide. We estimate that up to 3500 pupils and teachers took part in this experiment, through the 127 schools postcodes identified in the data submission. Further analysis revealed that 43.3%

SUBMITTER: Portas AM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5004053 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature